Indiana Defensive Driving: Safety, Points, and Insurance

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has a Driver Safety Program (DSP), which is a defensive driving course designed to improve road safety through behavioral modification. The course covers finding negative driving habits, reinforcing state traffic laws, and proactive collision-avoidance techniques. Taking the defensive driving course has three purposes. The first one is satisfying court or BMV requirements, while the second one is earning a point credit on your driving record. The third one is a potential reduction in insurance premiums.

BMV Requirements and Point Mitigation

1. Mandatory Completion: The Indiana BMV make it mandatory to enroll in a DSP course within 90 days if a driver accumulates two or more traffic convictions within a period of 12 months. This may also be mandatory for drivers who are under 21 but have multiple accidents or convictions. Those who do not comply may need to deal with license suspension.
2. Voluntary Point Credit: Anyone can choose to complete the Indiana defensive driving course on their own from any reputable school like ETS Traffic School. ETS makes it easy to pace the course, which can be accessed online in more than 15 languages. After completion, a 4-point credit is applied to the driver’s official record.
3. Record Integrity: This credit functions to buffer the driving record against future points, which helps maintain eligibility for driving privileges and potentially prevents suspension. The BMV needs 7 to 10 days to update the record after receiving electronic confirmation from the traffic school.

Traffic Citations and Court Orders

Drivers with a traffic citation may be eligible to enroll in a defensive driving course to clear the violation. Before joining the course, drivers must get permission from the presiding court or the issuing authority. The lack of court or BMV authorization can mean that the course was voluntary and may not fulfill legal requirements. Drivers should contact their local court official or the clerk of the court to verify eligibility and confirm that the chosen defensive driving program is accepted.

Financial Benefits

Many insurance companies in Indiana offer discounts to policyholders who voluntarily complete an accredited DSP course. Make sure to contact your insurance company to know eligibility details. Once you complete the course, you can download or print the certificate and submit the proof to the insurance agent. It is a good idea to confirm with your provider whether the course is meant to be completed voluntarily to get the discount. In other words, if you take the course because of a court order, the discount may not apply.

Inclusions of the Course

You will learn a wide range of things related to defensive driving, such as following distances. Given the seasonal weather in Indiana, which includes peak summer rain and heavy snow, the course will share insights on when to increase the 3-second gap. You will also get to know about scanning intersections, highway transitions, and urban zones at least 15 seconds ahead, which can help find hazards. The content also includes a focus on aggressive driving triggers, such as when to maintain calm and how to deescalate road rage incidents.

You can repeat the defense driving course in 3 years to retain the insurance benefits. Proactive enrollment also helps reinforce the muscle memory needed to handle traffic.